Incident solar radiation may be focused for solar energy collection purposes by mirrors, conventional lenses or Fresnel lenses in various ways known in the art. These collectors all require a device providing for the reception and absorption of the focused incident solar radiation. Solar collectors utilizing energy transfer to a fluid medium that in turn is used to supply energy to a turbine, require a device providing for the efficient reception and absorption of the focused incident solar radiation and for the efficient transfer of that energy to the liquid medium.
Solar collectors which utilize Fresnel lenses, such as the solar collectors disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/621,933, Publication No. 20050011513, by the present inventor, regardless of the precision with which the Fresnel lens components are manufactured, experience some unavoidable scatter in attempting to focus incident solar radiation. Scatter is also induced by manufacturing irregularities and installation errors for collectors using mirrors and conventional lenses. The result is that, regardless of the type of collector used, all of the incident solar radiation will likely not be focused precisely to a common focal point. Hence, a solar receiver is needed to accept the focused solar radiation with scatter, further concentrate the focused radiation with scatter, and ultimately to direct the radiation to a solar absorber where the energy can be absorbed and transferred to a fluid medium.
The solar receiver also needs a solar absorber component that will efficiently absorb the concentrated incident solar radiation and efficiently transfer it to the liquid medium, while minimizing radiative and convective losses.
An objective of the present invention is to provide a solar receiver having a receiver funnel to receive, from a solar collector, focused solar radiation with scatter and to further concentrate and direct the solar radiation to a solar absorber for absorption.
A further objective of the present invention is to provide a solar receiver having a solar absorber element providing for the efficient absorption of focused and concentrated incident solar radiation, the efficient transfer of the absorbed solar energy to a liquid medium, and the minimization of radiative and conductive losses.